David Hart '69

My time at MacMurray ranks as some of the best times of my life. The social skills learned, the lifetime friendships formed, and the work skills acquired have been a blessing to me each and every year that I live. I am forever thankful to all those who went before me and made it such a great learning institution and lifetime experience.

David Hart grew up in Springfield, Illinois and was so impressed by MacMurray that he applied and received early acceptance as a junior in high school. He was active at Mac as the sophomore class president, Blackstock social chairman, residence counselor, and a participant on nearly every intramural sports team. He taught women's self defense and wrote poetry for an unofficial newspaper that was circulating at the time. Hart graduated in 1969 with degrees in accounting and economics.

Hart spent five years in the Navy, primarily as a disbursing officer in Puerto Rico, and received his commission on stage from President Richard Nixon. He returned to law school at the University of Illinois, graduating magna cum laude and the Order of the Coif.

Following law school, Hart spent ten years with the Exxon Corporation, where he held the position of Chief Counsel-International in Geneva, Switzerland and then London, England. His work with Japan and Korea fostered relationships which allowed contracts to be negotiated. He finished his career with Exxon in Silicon Valley, California. He then moved to Chicago to serve as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary to Pansophic Systems, a mainframe software company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. After five years at this position, he moved to Orlando to serve as Executive Vice President and General Counsel to Newtrend, a banking software company. After this company sold to the same buyer that bought Pansophic, he spent time with Phoenix International and then BRC Holdings in Dallas. Hart left the workforce at age 49 to care for his children when his wife, Eloise Wenger '69, became ill. She later passed away.

Leaving the workforce also allowed Hart to do more volunteer and charity work. He is a financial counselor through a church in Brentwood, Tennessee. Hart also takes an annual mission trip to do tax returns for indigent residents of Garfield Park, Chicago, Illinois. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the MacMurray Board of Trustees. He and his family help feed men in a rehabilitation center, women returning from prison, and a homeless shelter. Hart and his family have also recently accepted an exchange student from Germany, to live in their home for a year. He has also recently accepted a position as Chairman of the Board of Directors for a small medical billing company to assist his new son-in-law.